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North American Right Whale
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The North American Right Whale is one of many endangered species in our midst.

Quick Facts
Common Name: Northern Right Whale / Southern Right Whale
Scientific Name: Eubalaena glacialis / Eubalaena australis
Status: Endangered
Population: ~ 300 in the North Atlantic / ~7,000 in Southern Hemisphere
Size: 50 feet long, can weigh up to 70 tons
Threats: ship strikes, entanglement in fishing gear

Right whales are the rarest of all large whale species and among the rarest of all marine mammal species.
They are found in three general regions: the North Atlantic, the North Pacific, and the Southern Hemisphere. Right whale populations, historically, were severely depleted by commercial whaling. More recently, direct and indirect impacts from human activities—mostly vessel collisions and fishing gear entanglements—almost certainly have contributed to a lack of recovery.

For more information about the Right Whale, read the American Cetacean Society's Fact Sheet.